Papers on British policy and the Arab movement [‎78r] (159/380)

(Thin document, la the property of Hlg Britannic Majoety^ Govemn^nt) .
-SECRET- WAR C ABINET .
EA^feRI? OO^UTTEE . B* _lv^
E,C> 1915.
FUTURE COVEPvUIIENT XI: THE MIDDLE EAST.
Copy of & letter from Lord ft. oil to H< Flohon
oovorlng a drtift Memorcjo3um»
Doar II. pichon,
In roforonoc to tho affiars of Syria of vhioh you spoke to mo to-
day, I have, preat ploasur^ in snufling you the annexod Momorciidum to which
the prime Minister agpeag. It has not yet been approved fcy the Cabinet and
until that has taken plaoc it must be treated as to that extent provisional*
yours very sinooroly,
(Intd) R.C*
praet immmwu,
*< ii 11 ■i*i i
BRITISH E^ASSY,
PARIS.
Ootftbor 6th 1918«
His Majesty’s Government are prepared to aooopt the arrangement
reached at tho Oonforonce held at the Foreign Office on the 30th day of
September upon the understanding that it is to be treated solely as pro<r
vising for the situation caused by the recent advance of General Allenby 1 *
force into Syria and is to bo deemed to refer only to the territories
occupied, or to be occupied, by that force.
With regard to the futuro ffovornmont of the other territoriesraen-
tiontd In the Anplo-Frenon Convention of 191o, His Mnjoaty’s Government
think it right to point out that tha general position hh® »o araoh changed
since that Agreoment was ontcrod into that its provisions do not in all re
spects appear suitable to proapnt oonditions. Not only has the military
position in Mesopotamia' Palestine and Syria completely altered but tvo
political changes of vest importance have taken place. Tho united States
have come into the war and Russia has gono out. It is manifest on the one
hand that America cannot be ignored in any settlement of the future of these
countries and paxtioularly of Syria and Palestine. And on the other the
arrangements contemplated for the North Eastern part of Armenia have been
completely upsot by the collapse of Russia. A further difficulty is caused
by Clause 9 of the Treaty of London which reoognises the claims cf Italy In
connection with the Eastern Mediterranean. The provisional suggestions made
at Saint-Jeon do Maurienoe for mooting these claims hove lapsed and indeed'
would in any oaso be difficult now te enforce without protests from Greece
and even from Turkey. While calling attention to these points Kin Mejes y #
Government feel that it would be useless to attempt a settlement oi them at
the present moment and they suggest that they should form the » u pJ«ot of
fresh conversations in which the Governments of Italy and the United States
as well as tho French and British Governments should be invited to take part.
(Signed) ROBERT CECIL.
2, Whitehall Gardena, S.W.l
12th October, 1910.